Happiness in a Photograph
by Tillikins
Summary: Lily sees Remus and Sirius snogging in a photo. Fluff ensues.


Remus sat on the Potters' well-worn sofa, his feet curled beneath him, nose buried in a book, as usual. The flickers of light from the fireplace occasionally caught in his gold-brown eyes. Every so often, he glanced at Sirius, who was playing with baby Harry on the floor. Sirius lifted Harry's shirt and blew a raspberry on his tummy, producing a fit of laughter from both.  
  
"Honestly, Sirius, you never grew up," Lily said, a little exasperated, but still fond. She smiled at Harry and picked up a packet of photos just back from being developed.  
  
"Merlin's beard!" Lily exclaimed, her green eyes round as saucers. She dropped most of the photos as she bolted from her chair and into the kitchen where James was making a sandwich. "James, look at this!"  
  
There was a clatter, and James swore loudly. Remus and Sirius exchanged a confused look. Sirius shrugged and continued to play with Harry. Remus went back to his book. Lily and James came back into the room.  
  
"Perhaps you gentlemen would care to explain this?" James said, smirking, but blushing quite furiously as he handed Remus a photograph.  
  
Remus set down his book and took the photo. In it, he and Sirius stood, arms round one another, waving to the cameraman. Then the Sirius in the photo did something quite unexpected. He tipped photo-Remus's face toward his and kissed him full on the mouth. Photo-Remus seemed to like this a great deal, as he slipped his free hand up and into photo-Sirius's hair. Remus felt his ears grow warm.  
  
"Let me see that, Moony," Sirius said, taking the photo. "Oh."--pause-- "James, I think I can say I've never done that. At least not with Moony."  
  
"Yes, but your thoughts at the time are clear," said Lily mischievously. "Both of you."  
  
Remus and Sirius stared at one another, Lily and James almost forgotten, and Remus spoke.  
  
"Do, ah...Do you really want to do that? I mean, with me?"  
  
Sirius bit his lip and nodded, his throat suddenly dry. "I've wanted to for years, but never said anything because I wasn't sure you...you'd feel the same way."  
  
Lily nudged James. "I'm going to go nurse this little one and put him to bed," she said, scooping Harry into her arms.  
  
"I think I'll come with you," James said, and followed her out of the room.  
  
"Then we've both been waiting years for something that we could have had all along," Remus said, and leaned down to kiss his dark-haired friend.  
  
Their lips met, soft and warm, and Remus felt the distinct sensation of sparks running all across his nerves. Coherent thought was as elusive as a Golden Snitch as lips parted and tongues met. His senses were full of Sirius - the sound of his breathing, the feel of his warm skin, the sweetness of his mouth, and the musky scent that was late autumn and spice and Sirius. And suddenly they parted, gasping for breath.  
  
Sirius was flushed, his lips slightly swollen from the kiss. Remus looked down shyly, golden brown lashes brushing his pale cheekbones.  
  
"If it was like this the first time," Sirius murmured, "imagine how much better it would get with practice..." He gave Remus a rakish smile.  
  
"I think I'd like to do rather more than imagine, Padfoot," Remus said. "But we really ought to do it someplace a little less conspicuous than James and Lily's lounge."  
  
"We share a flat." Sirius's eyes widened. "We share a flat!" he said wondrously, looking as though a light had come on inside his mind. "Moony, we're live-ins!"  
  
"Well then, by all that is holy, let's say our goodbyes and get home!"  
  
===============  
  
"And the rest, as they say, is history," Remus finished, smiling.  
  
"So what do you say, Tonks?" Sirius asked before planting a kiss on Remus's temple. "Will you give me away?"  
  
The violet haired woman laughed. "Of course I will, Sirius. And I'm honored," she added. "I would have thought you would have Harry do that."  
  
"Oh no, he's my best man, didn't you know?"  
  
"How about you, then, Lupin? Who's standing for you?"  
  
"I asked Emmeline to stand for me," Remus said. "And my parents are coming to give me away." He smiled. "They're taking things surprisingly well. They knew my preference when I dated Sirius...before...and they 'trust my judgment,' as my father says. They just want me to be happy."  
  
"Let's hope they take the grandchildren issue as well as they did the marriage, hey Moony?" Sirius said. Remus blushed.  
  
"And Dumbledore's doing it here at Number Twelve, right?" Tonks asked. "Wait, grandchildren issue? I thought Remus just said the Lupins were fine with you guys."  
  
"Yes, well...it's not like we want to be childless, now is it?" Sirius began.  
  
"So you're adopting, then?"  
  
"Well, no...didn't Hestia tell you?"  
  
Tonks looked rather bemused, and Remus spoke up.  
  
"Hestia told us about a witch in Devon who can help us"--Remus hesitated for a moment--"have our own baby."  
  
"Really?" Tonks looked quite interested, and Remus got the feeling she would be having quite the conversation with her lover later. "Well, I'd best be leaving you to try these on," she said to Sirius, pushing a parcel toward him. "Now mind you don't catch a glimpse of him in these robes before the wedding, Remus, or it's bad luck for all of us. Catch you blokes later." Tonks winked and headed out of the room, presumably to find Hestia.  
  
"Two days really wasn't a lot of notice to give people, Padfoot," Remus said as he gathered Sirius's long, dark locks and swept them around himself. He still smells like autumn...  
  
"No, but if there's anything I've learned, it's that life is precious, and can sometimes be all too short," said Sirius softly. "I was going to ask you that night, but then Peter..."  
  
"I often wondered about that. About what would have happened if Lily and James hadn't died."  
  
Sirius pulled him close. "It's best not to dwell on it. We just have to live with what is."  
  
Remus sighed and laid his head on his lover's shoulder.  
  
You always smell like sunshine, Sirius thought as he breathed in. And I never get enough. He tilted Remus's face toward his and kissed him gently.  
  
Involuntary neediness claimed Remus, fueled by thoughts of the past. Twelve long years Sirius had been in Azkaban. Remus, shunned and jobless because of what he was, returned to his parents' home, scarcely leaving his room for nearly two years. Twelve years of finding silent release in the dark of night with no company but his own thoughts and memories. Twelve years that were finally over. He felt his lover's hands at his throat and his own hands found the fastenings of Sirius's robes as Remus deepened the kiss, nipping lightly at his lover's lower lip.  
  
Their robes fell silently to the floor and Sirius seated himself on the bed, pulling Remus astride him. Sirius was still too thin, and faded scars marred Remus's creamy flesh, but each man was beautiful, a marvel in the other's eyes. Remus gathered Sirius's dark hair and arranged it on the pillow as Sirius laid himself down, then kissed him soundly.  
  
Sirius sighed softly and ran his hands down Remus's bare back, making the lighter haired man arch.  
  
"Sirius," he breathed, breaking the kiss for a moment, then continuing more fervently.  
  
Underclothes were removed and tossed to the floor--oh, that feels good--- and their hands were roaming--yes, right there... Remus nipped at Sirius's shoulder, causing his lover to emit a low growl that sent shivers up Remus's spine. It was as though their bodies were starving for one another-- Gods, where did he learn to do that?--they couldn't get enough. Remus closed his eyes, and all he could see were fields of white flowers for miles and miles and Sirius moaning and writhing in ecstasy beneath him. He drew a ragged breath. He could feel himself tensing, and Sirius tensing beneath him. Soon, oh soon...Don't stop! The world was aflame, and Remus felt as though he would be consumed. Sirius grunted and his hot seed spilling across Remus's sex was the last push Remus needed before he succumbed.  
  
"Unh....Sirius!" Remus half sobbed as he finished, and collapsed onto his lover's chest. Sirius held him close.  
  
"Oh, Moony..." Sirius whispered. "I love it when we come so close together like that." He kissed Remus's eyelids. "I love you..."  
  
"Mmmmm...I love you..." Remus sighed. "Oh Merlin, Sirius, there's so much to be done before Sunday..."  
  
"Shhh...Don't worry about it now, just rest. We'll take care of things later."  
  
Remus nodded and tucked his head under Sirius's chin, his eyelids growing heavy and finally closing. Sirius kissed the top of Remus's head and stroked his hair, smiling. His last thought before the Sandman came for him was how lovely it was going to be, falling asleep and waking next to Remus for the rest of his life.  
  
===============  
  
It was finally Sunday. The last two days had been spent in a flurry of activity. Molly Weasley had taken it upon herself to prepare a light luncheon and bake a cake for after the wedding. Harry had been brought from the Dursley's. The Weasley children and Hermione had been enlisted to clean the drawing room. Furniture had been moved and removed, chairs brought into the drawing room from various places in the house. Flowers and silver candelabras decorated the room. Everything was ready.  
  
Sirius stood at the front of the room, Harry and Tonks on either side of him, his long hair dark and glossy against the navy velvet of his dress robes. Harry gave him a smile and Tonks squeezed his hand in support.  
  
Dumbledore raised his hand to shush the guests as Remus entered the drawing room, flanked by a taller man with the same long, straight nose and gold- brown eyes, and a woman with silver-and-gold hair and the same warm smile. Emmeline Vance followed. Remus was beaming. His deep green robes were new and fine, and he looked happier than many had seen him in years.  
  
When they reached the front of the room, Sirius shook hands with Remus's father. "Welcome to the family, son," Remus's father said.  
  
"Thank you, Julius," Sirius said, inclining his head.  
  
Remus's mother kissed Sirius's cheek. "I know you'll be good to my boy," she said softly. "He loves you, you know."  
  
"I do, Anna. And I will treat him with all the love and respect he deserves, I promise you that."  
  
Tonks hugged Remus. "Shag him rotten, and feed him a little more, for goodness sakes," she whispered to him with a conspiratorial wink. "Welcome to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black." Her voice was full of sarcasm.  
  
Remus laughed and took Sirius's hand as Tonks and his parents sat down. The two grooms smiled at each other and turned to Dumbledore.  
  
"Welcome, all of you, to the joining of Remus Lupin and Sirius Black in marriage. As we have just witnessed, they come with the blessings of both their families, and I am honored to have been asked to unite them." He paused and smiled at Remus and Sirius.  
  
"I had the pleasure, and sometimes exasperation, of knowing them in their youth. These men could have chosen no finer companions in life than each other. Remus, Sirius, I believe you have written your own vows?"  
  
Sirius looked at Remus who smiled and nodded. "Yes, we have."  
  
"Then without further ado, I shall let you recite them."  
  
Remus and Sirius faced one another and joined hands. Remus trembled slightly, but took courage and started to speak.  
  
"Sirius, when I first met you, I knew there was something special about you. I was grateful to have a friend for the first time in my life. I think I realized that I was in love with you when you knew what I was and didn't run away from me. And I think back to all those years ago, when Lily saw that photograph..." He smiled and Sirius chuckled. "I knew that moment, when you said you wanted to kiss me...I knew we would have something special. All the years you were...away...I loved you, even when I wanted to hate you. And now that I know the truth, I can still love you. I want to spend the rest of my life loving you, just being with you, and knowing that you love me."  
  
A single tear slipped from Sirius's eye as Remus turned away for a moment, taking from Emmeline a plain gold ring.  
  
"This ring is a symbol of the love I bear for you, Sirius. Continuous, and with no end." Remus smiled warmly at Sirius and slipped the ring on the dark haired man's finger. It was Sirius's turn now.  
  
"Remus...Remus, there were a lot of beautiful things I could say to you today, but none of them could ever be as beautiful as you are to me. You're nothing like what I always thought I wanted, but everything I've always needed. You know me better than anyone alive. And you know that I love you more than anything," Sirius said, almost fiercely. Tears ran unchecked down Remus's smiling face.  
  
Harry nudged Sirius and pressed a ring identical to the one on his finger into his hand. "This ring is a symbol of the love I bear for you, Remus. Continuous, and with no end." He slid the ring gently onto Remus's finger.  
  
"Well said, gentlemen," Dumbledore whispered, smiling at them. "You can kiss now." Dumbledore winked.  
  
Remus was beaming as Sirius pulled him close and kissed him warmly but still chaste. They rested with their foreheads against one another and Sirius whispered, "I'm saving the others for later."  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the newlyweds?"  
  
A great cheer went up, and Remus and Sirius both blushed.  
  
"Come on, Moony. Let's get to the food, I'm famished," Sirius whispered , and Remus chuckled.  
  
"Let's," Remus agreed.  
  
The small group of guests followed them into the dining room where Molly's cake held pride of place. On top was a picture Remus had thought long lost, though not forgotten.  
  
"Hey, isn't that...?" Tonks ventured, cut off by Remus and Sirius's hearty laughter.  
  
"To happiness," Harry said, raising a glass of butterbeer. "And to Remus and Sirius, who deserve it more than most."  
  
"To happiness," the guests toasted.  
  
And indeed, they had found it. And it started in a photograph.  
  
fin  
  
Author's Note: I love feedback, so please leave it! If you'd like to archive this story somewhere else, all you have to do is ask.  
  
Though I really wish sometimes that these characters were mine, my initials are CRG, not JKR, so they're obviously not. What a shame.  
  
Depending on reviews and demand, I may or may not continue this story with chapters concerning Remus and Sirius' adventures in having children.  
  
This story was originally written for the first wave of the Sirius/Remus FQF (posted under my first name rather than my pen-name), in response to challenges #109: Remus and Sirius get married/handfasted/civil unioned; and #115: A wizarding photograph betrays their feelings for each other. It's my first bit of fanfic, and also my first bit of slash. Please be gentle with your reviews. 


End file.
